Purdue student pilots tackle women's historic cross-country air race

June 11, 2013

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Two female Purdue University
students will take off Tuesday (June 18) from Pasco, Wash., in a small
plane for a three-day race that crisscrosses the country before finishing in Fayetteville,
Ark.

Captain Amanda Keck, a senior from Crown Point, Ind., is
returning to the women-only Air Race Classic after serving as Purdue's co-pilot
in 2012. Joining her in the cockpit is co-pilot Rachel Borsa, a junior form Erie,
Pa. Keck will be the first Purdue competitor to fly an advanced Cirrus SR22
after a decade of the team flying an older, less powerful, manually controlled
Piper Warrior II. A Purdue alum donated the airplane to help the team and help Purdue
students earn their high-performance endorsement.

"This Cirrus climbs like a rocket, which will help
since more than half the race is over mountains," Keck said. "It's
about 50 percent faster than the old Warrior. We can complete more legs in a
day to make up time if we get hampered or grounded by bad weather, which is
entirely possible as we travel through Tornado Alley."

Keck has dreamed of being an airline pilot for years ever
since babysitting for a female United Airlines pilot who frequently jetted off
to glamorous destinations like London and Brazil.

The Air Race Classic traces its origins to women-only
races that were started by pilots, including Amelia Earhart, who were banned
from competing against men. Purdue recruited Earhart to come to the university
to encourage coeds to pursue non-traditional careers.

The aviators will be supported by a ground crew at Purdue that
will constantly monitor weather to calculate the best strategy and path to
maximize performance against dozens of teams. Because this year's plane is
faster, the race's handicap system will require that Purdue's team complete the
race more quickly. The goal is to complete the entire course as quickly as
possible, but each team will ultimately be graded on how fast it flew compared
to its aircraft's officially rated speed capability. Even a 50-foot difference
in altitude can make a significant impact in how well the plane performs in an
ever-changing environment. Keck also will be assisted by a device Earhart could
never have imagined: an iPad on her knee with several handy tools including
charts, live radar weather reports and Skype.

Note to
Journalists: The team departs for the starting line from Purdue Airport
Hangar 6 at approximately 8 a.m. on Wednesday (June 12). Photo, video and interview
opportunities begin at 7:30 a.m.
Photos, B-Roll and sound bites will be available later on request. For
more information, contact Jim Schenke, Purdue News Service, at 765-237-7296 or
jschenke@purdue.edu.